I have been mulling over different directions to take the Wake Wednesday posts lately. I enjoy them, but there are not always enough research hours in the day. Another consideration is that Heather Leah has started doing something very similar with her new Facebook page. She is doing a great job and producing content at a rate that I just can't match. I encourage you to visit Heather's page . I may direct you there from time to time when I see she has written about something really special. Otherwise, I am on a quest to see if I can dredge up content from the 1770's through 1790's to inform us how the denizens of Wake County lived, rebelled and coped with the political turmoil of their day.  I hope to capture as much or more about life lived around and in spite of the politics, but I am sure both topics will appear over time. As I was toying with the idea, one of my resources suggested this great article from the Muscogee Muckraker as an example. It offers extensive dis...

Are thoughts of cool breezes and crisp fall air calling to you? Got a taste for fair food yet? While it is way too warm for that now, you can still get in the mood.  Stay inside and have a browse this fun old bit of ephemera from the turn of the century, the   Premium List of the NC State Fair 1899 - 39th Annual State Fair . There are some beautiful advertisi ng  graphics inside, as well as great historical context for Wake County and the rest of the state at the time. You can page through this volume much like browsing a physical book. Don't miss the ads for Briggs Hardware, Raleigh Cotton Mills, St Mary's School, Southern Railway, and a host of others less well known that we surely need to keep in our memory. Fun! source These old premium book are a great source of historical context for you ancestors life way back when.  Browse all from the history of the NC State Fair (1853-1859, 1869 - now). Visit NCDigital and search for "State Fair Ephemera". You ...

Find the back story on your ancestors' daily lives in NC (c.1830-1900). The Branson's guides exist digitally in several places across the internet as well as physical copies in libraries and archives. This is a great resource for historical context. Branson's North Carolina Business Directory - These guides exist at least from the 1830s to the early 1900's based on my search. The guides include alphabetized lists of North Carolina post offices and their location, railroad stops, voting stats and others. You may find valuable pictures of era in each publication. Search Google for "Branson's NC directory" and you will find links multiple links to Digital NC, Internet Archive, DocSouth at UNC as well as old copies available for sale on Amazon. Plenty to get you started. Visit Wake County Genealogical Society's Website  -  Homepage   |  WCGS Events  |  Join WCGS  |  Journal  |  Wake Cemetery Survey Images  |  Society Surnames ...